ATLANTA – The same electric motors which propel Porsche’s upcoming Taycan Turbo S electric vehicle (EV) from 0-60 miles per hour (mph) in as little as 2.8 seconds on its way to a top speed of 155 miles per hour are also the primary means of bringing the four-door sports car to a halt.
A sophisticated regenerative-braking system – Porsche Regeneration Management (PRM) – turns the two electric motors into generators, thus transforming up to 90 percent of the energy necessary to stop the Taycan into electricity which is put back in the battery to pad the car’s range.
During sporty, everyday driving, for example, thanks to a regen output of up to 265kW, a driver can achieve up to a third of his/her range exclusively from regeneration. With regeneration braking from 124 mph to 0, electrical energy can be recovered for a range of up to 2.5 miles.
The system begins regeneration as soon as the driver’s foot leaves the accelerator. The strength of this regen output can be adjusted in three stages via a button on the steering wheel:
• In the “Off” stage, the mode is comparable to coasting in a conventional car. The Taycan uses its kinetic energy to roll for a longer distance. This means kinetic energy is used as efficiently as possible.
• When the system is activated, there is moderate deceleration as soon as the foot leaves the accelerator. This is comparable with a combustion-engine car in overrun mode.
• In “Auto” mode, the car decelerates utilizing adaptive control with the car’s camera sensors. Regeneration is increased or decreased as required and depending on the traffic situation to allow the driver to concentrate on driving and to enable efficient driving. For example, regeneration power output increases automatically when approaching the end of a line of traffic.
When PRM system determines additional braking is necessary, the Taycan’s huge mechanical brakes engage – intelligently controlled by a braking system that is capable of blending both types of braking.
The Taycan Turbo comes with conventional steel rotors 16.4 inches in the front, 14.4 inches in the rear, while the Turbo S subs in ceramic units 16.5 inches front, 16.1 in the rear (as a comparison – the largest SUV brakes top out at 17.7 inches). Regardless of version, 10-piston calipers do the arresting in the front and four-piston at the back.